Grain cleaning attachment for combines



March 17, 1959 F. KINDERKNECHT 2,877,900 GRAIN CLEANING ATTACHMENT FORCOMBINES 7 Filed May 20, 1958 INVENTOR Felix Kinda/knew GRAIN CLEANINGATTACHMENT FOR COMBINES Felix Kinderknecht, Grinnell, Kans.

Application May 20, 1958, Serial No. 736,598

1 Claim. (Cl. 209-283) This invention relates to farm equipment and moreparticularly to a device for cleaning grain.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a grain cleaningattachment for combines which can be operated from the power shaft ofthe clean grain elevator of the combine for efliciently and effectivelyremoving weed seed, grain dust, and cracked grain from the grainsorghum.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a grain cleaningattachment of the above type that transports the grain through anextended length of perforated casing for removing the unwanted particlesbefore discharging the grain sorghum into the bin.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a grain cleaningattachment for combines bearing the above objects in mind which is ofsimple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive tomanufacture and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a grain cleaning attachment made inaccordance with the present invention, with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 22 ofFigure l; and

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 33 ofFigure 1.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a grain cleaning attachmentfor combines made in accordance with the present invention is shown toinclude a first casing 11 having a plurality of perforations 12 ofuniform size extending throughout the entire length thereof. A hearing13 at each closed end of the casing 11 rotatably supports a longitudinalshaft 14 therewithin to which is integrally connected a screw auger fortransporting grain from one end of the casing to the other. A sprocketwheel 18 secured to the proximal end of the shaft 14 relative to the bin(not shown) is adapted to be driven by means of a sprocket chain 19 fromthe sprocket 20 that is secured to the shaft 21 of the clean grainelevator of the combine.

The distal end of the shaft 14 has another sprocket 22 secured theretowhich drives a sprocket 24 on the end of a shaft 25 of a second casing28, by means of a chain 23.

The second casing 28 is substantially longer than the first casing 11,but has perforations 29 of substantially the same size as theperforations 12 in the first casing.

The shaft 25 is supported upon bearings 27 that are carried at theopposite closed ends of the casing 28. This shaft 25 is also providedwith an integral screw auger 26 for transporting grain from one end tothe opposite end thereof.

The proximal end of the first casing 11 is provided with an inlet hopper31 into which grain to be cleaned is deposited into operativeassociation with the auger 16. The grain is then carried toward thedistal end of the casing, during which time broken grain, weed seed, anddust is allowed to escape from the casing through the perforations 12. Acommon chute 32 communicating with the adjacent distal ends of the firstcasing 11 and the second casing 28 carries the partially cleaned graininto the second casing 28, in which it is transported from the distalend to the proximal end thereof relative to the bin by the auger 26. Atthe proximal end of the second casing 28, a discharge opening 34 in thebottom of the casing 28 allows the grain to drop into a bin.

The reason for carrying the grain from a proximal point relative to thebin, outwardly to a distal point, and then back to the proximal end ofthe unit for discharge into the bin is to enable all of the wasteproducts to be discharged through the perforations 12, 29, at a pointaway from the bin containing the clean grain. In addition, substantiallygreater length of travel is provided without unduly extending the casingin a single direction.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

A grain cleaning attachment adapted to be operated from the power shaftof the clean grain elevator comprising a first perforated cylindricalcasing, a grain receiving hopper on the end of the casing proximal to astorage bin, an auger shaft extending through the grain receiving hopperand the distal end of the perforated casing, a power drive on theproximal and distal ends of the shaft, a second perforated cylindricalcasing, said second cylindrical casing being longer than the firstcylinder casing and having its proximal end extending beyond theproximal end of the first cylindrical casing and nearer to the grainstorage bin, said second cylindrical casing having a grain dischargeopening in its proximal end thereof, an auger shaft extendinglongitudinally through the second cylindrical casing, power drive meansinterconnecting the auger shafts on their distal ends, and a chuteextending between the distal ends of the first and second cylindricalcasings for the delivery of the grain that has traversed the firstcylindrical casing to the second cylindrical casing for furthercleaning. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS496,367 Oliphint Apr. 25, 1893 945,187 Nelson Jan. 4, 1910 1,112,232Stevens Sept. 29, 1914 1,781,472 Nagle Nov. 11, 1930 2,409,292 MacGregorOct. 15, 1946

